Taoyuan airport to raise peak-hour landing fees

INCENTIVE?：The airport operator is hoping the change would encourage more airlines to use off-peak hours when traffic is not as tight at the international airport

By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

Tue, Nov 26, 2013 - Page 3

International flights landing during peak hours at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport may soon be asked to pay a higher fee, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said yesterday.

The airport charges airlines a fee, based on the weight of the aircraft, that covers both landing and takeoff. Taoyuan airport’s rate is set by TIAC, while rates in other airports in the country are set by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA).

TIAC said peak hours are from 9am to 11am and from 4pm to 6pm. The number of aircraft landing or departing during peak hours has exceeded the runway capacity by an average of three flights, increasing the waiting time for flights on the runway.

However, during off-peak hours, the runway usually has capacity for 10 more flights. The airport company expects the number of flights landing or departing during peak hours would continue increasing due to the gradual rise in foreign visitors to Taiwan.

Through the fee adjustment, the company said it hopes to encourage more airlines to take advantage of the off-peak rate.

The proposed rate change is scheduled to be disclosed next year, the company said.

Currently, the landing fee for a Boeing 747 aircraft is about NT$52,000 and about NT$30,000 for an Airbus 330 plane.

The CAA had raised the landing fees at Taipei International Airport (Songshan), and lowered those in Hualien, Taitung and other airports.

In other developments, travelers can start buying tickets for the Lunar New Year holiday at the beginning of next month, the agency said.

Booking for tickets for flights to the outlying islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu will start on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week respectively.

The domestic holiday flights will start on Jan. 24 and continue until Feb. 6, with a total of 3,178 flights, it said.